Combination-key



Y F. CLARK. COMBINATION KEY. "memos HlED sun: 11. 1919.

Patented Sept. 21,1920.

- INVENTOR wmvzssss gm I j 'a'amcwco (Zr/wk,

a citizen of h leX-ico, and a l f F COMBINATION-KEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L1 nanorsco CLARK,

resident of Durango city, in the State of Durango and Republic of Mexico, have invented a new and Improved I Combination-Key, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. r

This invention relates. generally to a new and improved combination key and is more particularly adapted for use in combination with a lock which may be set to correspond with the setting of the combination key.

It is understood thatit is not new broadly to provide a combination key "per 5e. It. is understood that heretofore certain patents have been granted on combination keys, but such constructions have embodied complex and cumbersome arrangement of parts for actuating the tumbler mechanism within the lock, and againin the constructions heretofore suggested the positioning fingers or wards foractuatingthe tumblers within the lock have projected or extended laterally of the main key body and have generally necessitated a turning movement of the key.

A further. objectionto theconstructions' heretofore suggested is that if dirt and other particles become lodged in the keyhole, the lock is rendered inoperative and it is extremely'difiicult, .if not impossible, to dislodge or clean the material therefrom 111 order that the key may be inserted therein. Under such circumstances, necessary to disassemble the entire locking mechanism to clean the same. 7

Further in combination-keys heretofore suggested in order that a diflerentcombinm tion may be obtained, it has necess tated the use of Wards of a-difierent shape orsize.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a key of simple constructiom'inexpensive to manufacture and to overcome-the difliculties in combination keys of the construction above noted. g v l Another object is to provide in a combina-- tion key, a construction in which the various wvarcls are of substantially the same construction, there being provided an adjusting means whereby the relative effective functioning parts thereof may be readily and out a wide it p is usually I I spe 0f 'P'a' t; i Patented Sept. 21, 1920. ,Appl icationfiled June 17, 1919. Serial No. 304,888.: i

, adjusted throughrange of settings. a

Still another object of this invention is to provide a key having the ward elements slidable longitudinally of then-main key body and having the ends of the various elements extending from'the end of the key body so. that it is only necessary to insert the end of the key in thekeyhole of a look without. further movement thereof in order to release the locking mechanism and permit the boltor latch to be withdrawn...

Still-another object of this invention is to provide a combination "key having a means therefor which maintains the said key in the keyhole against a spring pressure, in which position thesaid keyholds the mechanism of the lock. in such a'position as to permit the free movement of thebolt or latch of the lock.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combination key so constructed that it is only necessary to remember a cer tain series of numbers which corresponds to the particular setting of thewardsor fingers of the key relative to. a given lock, so that the setting thereof may be convenientlyand readily changed to prevent unauthorized persons from effectively using the key, if lost, or any other master key to release the lock. On the other hand, if a key is lost, itwould be unnecessary for the person having knowledge of the previous setting of the lost key to obtain a special key for his look, it being only necessary that'he obtain the temporal 7 use of another key, perhaps of his neighbor having a similar type lock, and reset the fingers orwards to correspond with the setting, of the tumblers in'his particular look. i j

The above objects are accomplished by providing, in the preferred form, ing a mainbody and ayplura-lity of fingers orwards, preferably of uniform construction, slidable longitudinally therein and having the ends thereof end of the main body of the key, there be convenientlyv varied and ing provided a means whereby the distance,

a key havq j may be independently varied or ad projectingfrom the I ferred forms of the inventionmoved longitudinally of the key body.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a key embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 1;

Fig. is a front elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. e is a front elevation of one of the fingers;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. a;

Fig. 6 18 a perspective view of the key embodying a preferred construction, showing one of the methods which may be conveniently used to vary the length of the projecting portion of the fingers beyond the end of the key body;

Fig. 7 is a broken sectional view of a pottion of a combination lock showing the combination key positioned and held in the keyhole of said lock.

in the drawings showing one of the preferred forms of this invention, the key comprises a main body 1, which preferably is rectangular in form and having a suitable handle 2 in the form of a ring at one end thereof. The key'body 1 is provided with an opening at one end thereof and a passageway extending inwardly of the body therefrom, there being provided ward or finger members 3, 4L, 5, 6 and 7, having one end thereof extending within said passageway so that they may be independently It is understood that any suitable number of ward members may be employed.

There is provided a means for changing the relative lengths of the projecting end portions of the wards, there being provided forthis purpose, in the preferred form, a plurality of spring fingers 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13, each of said spring members having a projecting port'on 1 1 at the end thereof,

which are positioned in slots 15 formed on one side of the wards. The spring fingers are preferably formed so that there will be an integral connection at one end thereof, such a construction being obtained by providing a strip of spring material 16 and securing one end thereof to the key body by a rivet connection 17 or other suitable means.

In order to form the spring fingers, longitudinal slits 18 are formed in said strip which extend inwardly from the end engaging the slotted portion of the wards, the end of each of the spring members being bent downwardly as shown at 1 1 to en age the slots 15 of the wards. In the preferred construction. shown, the bent portion 1 1 of the spring fingers is positioned substantially at the end of the key body 1. T he end of each of the ward members is provided with a in the keyhole 23 and the beveled surface 19, the purpose of which will later be seen.

The key, when used, will be inserted withend of the ward members will engage spring pressed tumbler members 26 and the key will be held in such a position against the spring pressure 27 acting through the tumblers until the bolt 29 is released, this being accomplished without any further movement of the key.

As a means of holding the key within the keyhole against the spring pressure, there is provided on the key body a projecting lip 20, the said lip engaging a slotted opening 28 in the keyhole of the lock so that the key may be held in its proper functioning position.

It is to be noted, in the preferred form, that the said projecting portion 20 is extended beyond the end of the main body 1 of the key, this construction being necessary because the said projecting lip 20 is inserted within the keyhole 23 while the end 21 of the main body portion of the lock is carried substantially flush with the outer edge 24: of the'keyhole. The outer end 25 of the spring actuated tumblers 26 of the lock is provided with a surface tapered to correspend with the end of the ward members. It is further to be noted that the tapered end 19 of the Ward members is in such a direction that a pressure applied thereto would tend to keep the projecting lip 20 positioned within the recess.

For a more detailed description of a preferred form of a lock construction, which is particularly adapted for use with the key described herein, reference may be had to a patent application for the said lock, which is to be the subject of a separate patent.

There is provided as a means in order to facilitate the adjustment of the lengths of the projecting ends of the various ward members, an opening 22 between the finger members adjacent the end thereof, so that the end of a pin 23 may readily be inserted therein to raise the finger until the bent end portion 14c thereof is out of engagement with the slot 15, at which time the ward may be moved to a desired position relative to the other ward members and to correspond with the setting of the coacting tumbler member within the lock.

It is to be noted that all of the ward members, irrespective of the number used, may be uniform or identical, it being only neces' sary that an adjusting means be provided to vary the length of the projecting parts thereof which are inserted within the key hole of the lock to actuate cooperating tumbler elements therein.

Further, if it is desired, after a door has been locked, it is only necessary to change the setting of any one or any number of the ward members in order to make it impossible for an unauthorized person to use the key if lost. Another important feature, in the'use of such a combination key construction, is that it makes impossible the use of a master key to actuate the tumblers of a lock.

combination of a lock, designed to be used with a combinationkey of this type, which is the subject of a separate patent application, may be readily and conveniently changed so as to make it impossible for the lock to be opened by using the old combination. 7

lVhile the drawings, embodying a preferred form, show but five ward members and five slots therein to permit the adjust ment thereof, it is understood that any desired number of wards maybe used and any desired number of slots may be provided therein. The number ofslots will correspond to the number of pins or pegs used to secure a particular combination in the setting of the tumblersof the locks.

The number corresponding to the particular combination ofthe key will be represented by the slot in which the spring finger is positioned. For example, in Fig. 1, the setting of the ward members would corre spond to the combination represented by the number 4:24:34, and the setting of the ward members'in Fig. 6 would correspond to the combination represented by the number 42134. In the above last-mentioned number where 4; is used, it means that the bent end portion of the spring is positioned in the fourth slot of the first ward. The

' bent end portion of the second spring member is positioned in the second slot of the second ward member, and the number 1 meaning that the end of the middle or third spring finger member is positioned in the first slot of the middle or third ward member.

There has been shown herein but one preferred form of construction, but it is understood that various changes and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A combination key comprising a main body, a plurality of fingers of identical construction movable longitudinally of the key body and independently of each other and having the ends thereof beveled extending beyond the end of the key body, means for independently positioning each of said fingers, means including a bent lip portion for holding the said key in a key hole.

2. A combination key comprising a main body,a plurality of fingers of identical construction movable longitudinally of the key body and independently of each other and having the ends thereof extending beyond the end ofthe key body, means for independently positioning each of said fingers, and a lip extendinglaterally from the body for holding said key in the-keyhole against a spring pressure, the ends of the fingers being beveled on the side opposite'said lip "to make 'more effective the action of the lip.-- 1

3. A combination keycomprising a key body, and a plurality'of wards-slidable longitudinally and having the ends thereof extending beyond the body of the 'key, the side of one ofthe said ward member's having a series of slots adapted to aline withthe end of the key bodyto serve as indicating marks, the endof the key including bent finger portions adapted to engagethe :SlOtS," means including a projecting holding the key in the key hole; I

4. In a: combination key, a key body,fa Ward" slidable longitudinally therein and portion for having the end thereof tapered and extend ing beyond theend of the key'body said' ward having slots adapted to serve as indicating means, and means for varyingthe distance to whichsaid ward extends beyond the end of said body, said means including a spring finger having a bent portion. forming the edge of a key and adapted to engage the slots to prevent movement ,of'the ward in either direction. 7

5. In a combination key, a key body, a ward member slidable longitudinally therein and having the end thereof extending beyond the end of the key body, said ward having a notched surface thereon, means for varying the distance which said ward ex-' the key body and having projecting portions to engage the notched surfaces of the finger members to prevent movement thereof in either direction, the resilient members forming one side of the key ering for the finger members. I

7. A combination key comprising a key body having a longitudinal passage exten ing inward of the key from one end thereof,

ward members slidable within said passage and having the ends tapered and projecting anda body and a covpendently varying beyond said key body, a means including a plurality of spring finger members for indethe length of the projecting end portions of the ward members, and means including a lip portion forward of the end of the key for holding the key within the key hole. 7

8. A combination key, comprising a key body, a plurality of finger members slidable longitudinally thereof and having the ends extending beyond the main key body, and means to hold said key in a keyhole against a spring pressure, said means including a projecting lip portion on said key body.

I 9. A combination key comprising a body, ward members having the ends thereof projecting beyond the end of the body, each Ward member having a beveled surface at its functioning end, and means for holding the key in a keyhole, said means comprising an outwardly bent lip portion forward of the end of the key body.

10. A combination key, adapted to release a locking mechanism by being positioned within a keyhole without further movement, comprising a body and ward members having the ends thereof extending longitudinally beyond said body, the said projecting ends being beveled and adapted to be inserted within the keyhole, and a means projecting from the key body on the side opposite to the beveled surface of the Ward to hold the key in the key hole.

I 11. A combination key, adapted to release a locking mechanism by beingv positioned within a keyhole without further movement, comprising a body, ward members having the ends thereof extending longitudinally beyond said body, he said projecting ends being adapted to be inserted Within the keyhole, and a means carried by the key to hold said key in the keyhole of a lock.

12. A combination key comprising a key body open at one end and one side thereof, a closure for said opened side, including a plurality of spring fingers, having bent end 7 portions forming a partial closure for the open end, openings for the finger portions, through which a pointed instrument may be inserted to raise said fingers, a plurality of ward members, adapted to slide within the key body, and having an end extending from the key body, each of said ward members having a plurality of slots therein adapted to receive the bent end of the spring fingers whereby the said ward members are held against movement in either direction, the slotted portion serving as visible indicating marks, and a means carried by the key for holding the said key in a key hole.

FRANCISCO CLARK. 

